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• steam engine
  steam engine

  noun

  an engine worked by steam, typically one in which a sliding piston in a cylinder is moved by the expansive action of the steam generated in a boiler.
• steam-engine
  steam-engine

  noun

  an engine that uses the thermal energy of steam to produce mechanical work, esp one in which steam from a boiler is expanded in a cylinder to drive a reciprocating piston

steam engine

American  

noun

1. an engine worked by steam, typically one in which a sliding piston in a cylinder is moved by the expansive action of the steam generated in a boiler.

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steam-engine British  

noun

1. an engine that uses the thermal energy of steam to produce mechanical work, esp one in which steam from a boiler is expanded in a cylinder to drive a reciprocating piston

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steam engine Scientific  

1. An engine in which the energy of hot steam is converted into mechanical power, especially an engine in which the force of expanding steam is used to drive one or more pistons. The source of the steam is typically external to the part of the machine that converts the steam energy into mechanical energy.

2. Compare internal-combustion engine

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• steam-engine
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of steam engine

First recorded in 1745–55

Example Sentences

Both the Industrial Revolution and the steam engine that powered it were invented in England.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

Thanks to some daring industrial espionage, the steam engine finally got into American hands, and offered investors opportunities in mills, foundries, canals, and especially railroads.

From Barron's • Jan. 13, 2026

The whistle of a train interrupts the tourist chatter, and a steam engine pulling a long line of freight carriages slowly chugs across the railway bridge from Russia to North Korea.

From BBC • Nov. 1, 2024

Once they arrived, inventions like the steam engine and indoor plumbing likely helped the insects travel further and get cozy living indoors, where they are most commonly found today.

From Seattle Times • May 20, 2024

Only five years after Papin’s failure, Newcomen produced the first commercially viable steam engine.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton